Apparatus for recovering waste alcohol from liquor-casks.



No. 639.979. Patented use. 26, I899. m. HICKEY.

APPARATUS FOR BECOVEBING WASTE ALCOHOL FROM LIQUOR GASKS (Applicationfiled Mar. 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

MICHAEL HIOKEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING WASTE ALCOHOL FROM LIQUOR-CASKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I'atent No. 639,979, datedDecember 26, 1899. Application filed March 1, 1899. Serial No. 707,355.(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL HICKEY, of Boston, in the county of Sulfolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Recovering Waste Alcohol from. Liquor-Oasks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the recovering of waste alcohol from casks andbarrels,as a large percentage of the contained alcohol is absorbed bythe wood of which the casks are made, and where the interior of the caskhas been charred the amount of alcohol absorbed is greater, owing to theporous nature of the charred wood.

I am aware that casks and barrels have been cleansed by introducingsteam therein and volatilizing the alcohol absorbed, the alcohol passingolf in the form of vapor with the escaping steam, whereas in myinvention the vaporized alcohol is led to a condenser and reclaimed.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing the figure represents a plan view of myapparatus with the top of the tanks broken away to show the interior.

Each tank A is provided with a door B,which is locked in position by theclamps O or by any other suitable fastening device. By opening the doorB casks of all sizes are placed within each tank. The casks D have theusual bunghole D, into which is inserted a rubber or other suitable tubeE of smaller diameter than the bung-hole and each of which is connectedwith a branch steam-pipe F, receiving its steam from the main steam-pipeG, and the flow of the steam into the pipe F is controlled by a suitablevalve G.

H represents a pipe by which the vaporized alcohol is led to acondenser.

In operation when the door B is closed and the valve G is opened thesteam enters the interior of each cask through the connections abovedescribed and volatilizes more or less of the absorbed alcohol, whichpasses out through the bung-hole and is confined within the closed tank,and the only escape of said volatilized alcohol is through the pipe H tothe condenser, where the volatilized alcohol iscondensed and reclaimed.Owing to the open communication between the interior of connected to themain steam-pipe and any number can be cut out of use by closing thesteam-valve. After the casks have been confined about two hours withinthe tank the valve G is closed and the doorB opened and the casksremoved and a new set of casks introduced for treatment at any desiredtime.

In the pipe H is placed a globe-valve I for the purpose of regulatingthe pressure of the steam and volatilized alcohol passing to thecondenser.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of my. invention.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention and set forth aconstruction embodying the same,whatI claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an apparatus for recovering waste al cohol from emptyliquor-casks, a closed tank for containing the empty casks, a steam-pipeleading into said tank, connections leading from said pipe and adaptedto pass through the bung-holes of the casks and having diameters lessthan the diameters of the bungholes to provide passages connecting theinteriors of the casks with the interior of the tank, and a pipe leadingfrom said tank'to a condenser.

2. In an apparatus for recovering waste alcohol from empty liquor-casks,a closed tank for containing the empty casks, a steam-pipe leading intosaid tank, connections leading from said pipe and adapted to passthrough the bung-holes of the casks and having diameters less than thediameters of the bungname to this specification, in the presence ofholes to provide passages connecting the intwo subscribing witnesses,this 25th day of teriors of the casks with the interior of the February,A D. 1899.

tank, a pipe leading from said tank to a con- MICHAEL HIOKEYE 5 denser,and means for regulating the pressure Witnesses:

0f the steam in said tank. A. L. MESSER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my C. A. STEWART.

